WHITEMARSH — A long-simmering disagreement between neighbors erupted before the Board of Supervisors Thursday as residents argued over the fate of a vacant property on the 200 block of Summit Avenue.

The property, comprising 228, 230, and 232 Summit, formerly housed two apartments and a small printing business. After the owner died in 1977, the building began to deteriorate, but now the owner’s heirs, Edward and Judith Stotesbury, are proposing to reconstruct it as apartments once again.

Their plans are opposed by neighborhood residents.

“The area is all single-family homes and it should stay that way. My strongest opposition to them is against multiple apartments,” resident Matt Hollenbach told the supervisors.

Hollenbach is not the only neighbor to express discontent with the Stotesburys’ proposal.

“We have received numerous phone calls and emails about the property,” Supervisor Robert Hart said.

The Stotesburys applied for a building permit in 2007 but moved slowly with the reconstruction process. They were also apparently unaware of building regulations and received citations for violating them.

They have restarted the reconstruction process in accordance with township’s zoning ordinances, they said, and are currently proposing three apartments for the property, as well as applying for zoning variances.

After passionate outbursts from both sides of the issue Thursday, Hart recommended mediation so that both groups could find a compromise.

Hollenbach replied he was not interested in the idea.

“We had direct conversations for the first two years and after that I only feel comfortable communicating with them through email or with a lawyer present,” he said.

The township supervisors generally remain neutral on most applications that come before the Zoning Hearing Board. They did so in the case of the Summit Avenue application, but strayed from their normal practice by agreeing to submit a memo of concerns to be presented to the zoning board.